The 24th July 2010.... 80,000 Lives.... 4,500 Hours of Footage... 2 Award winning Filmmakers..... Now one incredible motion picture event. What began life as a startling cinematic experiment becomes the must see movie experience of the… MoreThe 24th July 2010.... 80,000 Lives.... 4,500 Hours of Footage... 2 Award winning Filmmakers..... Now one incredible motion picture event. What began life as a startling cinematic experiment becomes the must see movie experience of the Summer. Created entirely from footage uploaded by YouTube users, Life in a Day is a film first: exhilarating, moving and very, very funny... it is the story of our world. Told by us. -- (C) National Geographic

The very idea of this film fascinated me, so I had to give it a shot. I must say, that if life itself fascinates you, you may just fall in love with this film,… MoreThe very idea of this film fascinated me, so I had to give it a shot. I must say, that if life itself fascinates you, you may just fall in love with this film, if you want to call it a film. These two directors asked people across the entire world to document their day and send in the footage so that this film could display the joys, struggles, happiness, and sadness surrounding us. This film displays these peoples lives very well, I just wish the film had been a little longer to explore a bit more of their lives, because in their videos they clearly wanted that. Life is intriguing to me and think this movie broadened my mind of how others view the world. "Life in a Day" is a very special film, that may not be groundbreaking, but it is very well put together.

Spencer S.

Life in a Day isn't really what you would call a film so much as a long Youtube video without anything tying it together. The film balances between the… MoreLife in a Day isn't really what you would call a film so much as a long Youtube video without anything tying it together. The film balances between the everyday, ordinary lives of people from all over the world and the fantastical possibilities of one day, all encapsulated by film, and all simultaneously happening at the same time. This film was made possible by a compilation of Youtube videos, and several camera crews which went into the developing world. The parts that were shot by Scott Free Productions didn't always coalesce with the irregular footage of Youtubers. These people showed their everyday actions, including their morning routines, what was in their pockets, and telling what they were most afraid of, all questions the production company asked them to answer in their videos. These questions at times helped to keep the film balanced between the mundane and spectacular, although this film was haphazard much of the time. It wasn't exactly the amazing trip around the world I was expecting or a true look into the lives of every culture and clandestine society on Earth, but visually there were some great scenes, including a skydiving expedition, the explicit death of a cow, and scenes of the everyday lives of Indians, Africans, Australians, and the like, a view of the world I hardly ever get to see. Still, there could have been more. Though the film broaches much of the world, and tries to tie things together with questions, human experiences, and the confessions and condemnations of the scared youth and far more vulnerable adults, it still tried to please too many people with cutesy faire. The film doesn't reach any new heights, or showcases anything extremely vivid or interesting, but does give a chuckle once in a while, a swell of emotion at others, and a decent amount of introspection to anyone who watches with an open heart and mind. Though the execution might not have been perfection the first time around, it was a decently poignant film in places and though not hard hitting it did reveal a new layer of humanity that hasn't been seen directly. For such a broad spectrum of life, they did a decent job overall.

Lucas Martins

With a interesting idea of show different lives in 192 countrys and all in a single day, Life in a Day, presents a incredible portrait, sometimes moving,… MoreWith a interesting idea of show different lives in 192 countrys and all in a single day, Life in a Day, presents a incredible portrait, sometimes moving, inspirer and funny, of 80,000 storys. But becomes, in a few moments, boring, this maybe because MacDonald, don't show the really click moments and disappoint some members of the audience and make they count the minutes until the end of the picture, and dispite 4,500 hours of footage and 80,000 lives, looks like that we see too little and don't get the point. Anyway, we see too a modern version of Dziga Vertov's The Man With a Movie Camera, but after the digital evolution. It's a nice, but not complete, way to see the world and too a globalization effect in the everyday people in whole planet.

Jake ....

I remember when Youtube first started promoting the Life in a Day project. I had thought about participating, but then forgot about it until after the deadline.… MoreI remember when Youtube first started promoting the Life in a Day project. I had thought about participating, but then forgot about it until after the deadline. I'm not nearly narcissistic enough to believe that anything I submitted would have been used, but at the same time it would have changed the feeling of the film had their been personal participation. Whether the footage was used or not would be irrelevant. Either way, it'd be such an uncanny connection to so many people around the globe. Anyone can chart a bit of their day, and everyone's day is made of many of the same type of things. I kind of like that idea, essentially no matter differences, we're all more or less the same. Some of the shots are absolutely gorgeous; especially the skydiving shot. We see the familiar and exotic, oftentimes tragedy, but ultimately we're left with optimism. While many of the clips are literally everyday life, many others took the filming as a opportunity to mark something important. It was a nice touch, though. It's kind of a value call, we are allowed to see what really matters to these people, what they want to place in a single video that represents their life. I'll admit the film wasn't as amazing as I had expected it to be, but at the same time it left me with a lot. It felt authentic, completely intoxicating and incredibly poignant; cultural trappings aside, the human experience is the same no matter who or where you find yourself.

Michael S

Truly a groundbreaking achievement that shows the kind of art only possible in our "always connected" present. "Life in a Day" is the reason… MoreTruly a groundbreaking achievement that shows the kind of art only possible in our "always connected" present. "Life in a Day" is the reason Youtube was invented.
Away from gag-inducing pop, rant, and novelty videos is a global community capable of more than flaming each other in the site's comment sections. Over 80,000 video submissions have been cut and edited together in a glorious, sequential kaleidoscope depicting just what life meant to countless individuals in one day (July 24th 2010) from around the globe. The result is stunning, a meditative experiment that deserves comparison to the liked of "Baraka" and Godfrey Reggio's Qatsi trilogy.
The viewer is taken on an emotional odyssey, through segments warm, sad, funny, disturbing; to uncomfortably voyeuristic. It's exhausting, it's scatter shot, and it's life. You'll be thinking about this after the credits role.

Idrees Khan

Not something a lot of people would typically classify as a film. More of an art project, but what an emotional trip it is. There is nothing that unifies yet… MoreNot something a lot of people would typically classify as a film. More of an art project, but what an emotional trip it is. There is nothing that unifies yet separates humanity more than our day-to-day lives. Through user-submitted footage, this film manages to show you the similarities and differences until you are left with no choice but being shaken.

Raymond Wieser

Life in a Day is a remarkable achievement by Director Kevin Macdonald and Producer Ridley Scott. Taking 4500 hours of video from 192 countries and making it… MoreLife in a Day is a remarkable achievement by Director Kevin Macdonald and Producer Ridley Scott. Taking 4500 hours of video from 192 countries and making it into a film 1 hour and 30 mins long that touches on all topics, races of people, and parts of the world is no easy feat but Life in a Day only skimmed the surface of what could have been a moving portrait of life on earth. The footage scattered and stories minimal, it was hard to find a connection to the people and find a common story line. It lost my interest in parts, moved me, shocked me and made me smile in others. Life in a Day could have been more coherent, more involving, but it's beautifully captured and beautiful to see.

c0up

'Life in a Day'. Extraordinary.
Put together by the people of the world and wonderfully edited, telling miniature stories that hold their own,… More'Life in a Day'. Extraordinary.
Put together by the people of the world and wonderfully edited, telling miniature stories that hold their own, covering love, loss, fear, and the vastly different, but also similar ways we all go about our lives.

Directors Cat

Life in a Day isn't the most moving piece of cinema ever made, nor is it capable of sustaining an audience's interest through out. But there's a… MoreLife in a Day isn't the most moving piece of cinema ever made, nor is it capable of sustaining an audience's interest through out. But there's a lot of amazingly captured material here that was shaped into an awe-inspiring film that has a simple message. It's great to be alive.

Dan Schultz

A fascinating, well edited collage of videos filmed on the same day, July 24th 2010, and the different events and personalities worldwide. This is a film that… MoreA fascinating, well edited collage of videos filmed on the same day, July 24th 2010, and the different events and personalities worldwide. This is a film that captures the full realm of emotions, and with a director like Macdonald consistently going from one place to the next, the effect is undeniably dizzying, if at times exhausting. There are some people and events I wish the film would have explored more of would have made a movie about sometimes, but for the most part this is excellent stuff. As an American, this film showed me once again how thankful I should be given my situation. There are people that have it much worse, and that handle it much better than many others, including myself, would. So in that regard, it is a movie I respect tremendously, and an automatic recommendation.

Tracy Kenderdine

The most remarkable thing about this movie is its lack of remarkableness. We are
all used to remembering where we were on a day when something exceptional… MoreThe most remarkable thing about this movie is its lack of remarkableness. We are
all used to remembering where we were on a day when something exceptional
happened, but the majority of life is not made up of moments like that - it's
made up of the kind of moments captured in this film. Every day, 6 billion of us - none of us as different from each other as we'd like to believe - go about our lives, surrounded by our small tragedies and victories; this film is a unique reminder of this simple fact. It's like the whole planet took a moment to say,''This is me. Here I am.'' For that reason alone I found this film fascinating and very moving indeed.

Walter M.

Like I am fond of saying, some times the simplest ideas are the best which is definitely the case with the highly endearing documentary "Life in a… MoreLike I am fond of saying, some times the simplest ideas are the best which is definitely the case with the highly endearing documentary "Life in a Day" which is composed of submissions shot across the globe on July 24, 2010 and then edited into a manageable and meaningful whole.
At first, "Life in a Day" starts in the predawn hours before centering on people waking up and starting their days, with a great edit from a cow being milked to milk arriving on a doorstep. Since this is a Saturday, the emphasis is more on play than work, although there is plenty of that, too, in Dubai, for example. Otherwise, for the most part, the documentary eschews specific locations but we do get Kathmandu, New York, Chicago, Roanoke, Va and tragically enough in Duisburg, Germany where so many lost their lives in that year's 'Love Parade' concert. Otherwise, what is of interest here are smaller personal moments like a first shave, an elderly couple renewing their vows, a first date, a young man coming out to his grandmother and, of course, a wedding proposal. People come and go, mostly not to be seen again, although there is the seriously ill mother and the Korean man who rides his bicycle around the world which best exemplifies the movie's global themes.